Precise determination of bromine in PP resin pellet by instrumental neutron activation analysis using internal standardization

Instrumental neutron activation analysis with the internal standardization was applied to the precise determination of Br in polypropylene resin of candidate certified reference material. The known amount of ¹⁹⁷Au was used as an internal standard to compensate for neutron flux inhomogeneity, to improve the γ ray measurement uncertainty and the linearity of the calibration curves. The reliability of the proposed method validated using analytical results of BCR-681. The analytical result of Br in the sample was consistent with that obtained by ID-ICPMS. The relative expanded uncertainty (k = 2) was 1.5 %, and it was equivalent to that of ID-ICPMS.     

Preparation of Molecule‐Responsive Microsized Hydrogels via Photopolymerization for Smart Microchannel Microvalves

Microdevices designed for practical environmental pollution monitoring need to detect specific pollutants such as dioxins. Bisphenol A (BPA) has been widely used as a monomer for the synthesis of polycarbonate and epoxy resins. However, the recent discovery of its high potential ability to disrupt human endocrine systems has made the development of smart systems and microdevices for its detection and removal necessary. Molecule‐responsive microsized hydrogels with β‐cycrodextrin (β‐CD) as ligands are prepared by photopolymerization using a fluorescence microscope. The molecule‐responsive micro‐hydrogels show ultra‐quick shrinkage in response to target BPA. Furthermore, the flow rate of a microchannel is autonomously regulated by the molecule‐responsive shrinking of their hydrogels as smart microvalves.

     

Recent progress in applications of graphene oxide for gas sensing: A review

This paper is a review of the recent progress on gas sensors using graphene oxide (GO). GO is not a new material but its unique features have recently been of interest for gas sensing applications, and not just as an intermediate for reduced graphene oxide (RGO). Graphene and RGO have been well known gas-sensing materials, but GO is also an attractive sensing material that has been well studied these last few years. The functional groups on GO nanosheets play important roles in adsorbing gas molecules, and the electric or optical properties of GO materials change with exposure to certain gases. Addition of metal nanoparticles and metal oxide nanocomposites is an effective way to make GO materials selective and sensitive to analyte gases. In this paper, several applications of GO based sensors are summarized for detection of water vapor, NO₂, H₂, NH₃, H₂S, and organic vapors. Also binding energies of gas molecules onto graphene and the oxygenous functional groups are summarized, and problems and possible solutions are discussed for the GO-based gas sensors.     

Regioselective Nucleophilic Functionalization of Antiaromatic Nickel(II) Norcorroles

Treatment of antiaromatic nickel(II) norcorrole with potassium cyanide provided nickel(II) 3‐cyanonorcorrole with perfect regioselectivity without the help of a catalyst. The reaction of the nickel(II) norcorrole with phenol or thiophenol in the presence of a base also yielded substitution products. The antiaromatic 16π conjugation system in the norcorrole core was preserved in the functionalized products. Introduction of phenylthio groups significantly decreased the HOMO–LUMO gap and enhanced the near IR absorption property.     

Highly Chemoselective and Versatile Method for Direct Conversion of Carboxylic Acids to Ketones Utilizing Zinc Ate Complexes

Various carboxylic acids were directly transformed into the corresponding ketones by utilizing organozinc ate complexes, which provide high chemoselectivity without any overreaction to the undesired tertiary carbinol, owing to formation of a stable tetrahedral zincioketal intermediate. This method offers good overall atom/step/pot economy and operational simplicity.     

Development of catalyst‐transfer condensation polymerization. Synthesis of π‐conjugated polymers with controlled molecular weight and low polydispersity

We describe the development of chain‐growth condensation polymerization for the synthesis of well‐defined π‐conjugated polymers via a new polymerization mechanism, catalyst‐transfer polymerization. We first studied the condensation polymerization of Grignard‐type hexylthiophene monomer with a Ni catalyst as a part of our research on chain‐growth condensation polymerization, and found that this polymerization also proceeded in a chain‐growth polymerization manner. However, the polymerization mechanism involving the Ni catalyst was different from that of previous chain‐growth condensation polymerizations based on substituent effects; the Ni catalyst catalyzed the coupling reaction of the monomer with the polymer, followed by the transfer of Ni(0) to the terminal C? Br bond of the elongated molecule. This catalyst‐transfer condensation polymerization is generally applicable for the synthesis of polythiophene with an etheric side chain and poly(p‐pheneylene), as well as for the synthesis of polyfluorene via the Pd‐catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 753–765, 2008     

Control of the Dynamic Motion of a Gel Actuator Driven by the Belousov‐Zhabotinsky Reaction

A novel self‐oscillating gel actuator with gradient structure, which generates a pendulum motion by fixing one edge of the gel without external stimuli was achieved. The gel was synthesized by copolymerizing the ruthenium catalyst for the Belousov‐Zhabotinsky reaction with N‐isopropylacrylamide and 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropane sulfonic acid. Furthermore, we clarified that the period and amplitude for the self‐oscillating behavior of the gel actuator are controllable by changing the composition, temperature, and size of the gel. The maximum amplitude of the novel gel actuator is about a 100 times larger than that of the conventional self‐oscillating gel system.

     

Fabrication of Self‐Oscillating Micelles with a Built‐In Oxidizing Agent

Various biological behaviors are fueled by “respiration”, which is an example of catabolism. So far, we have reported various self‐oscillating soft materials exhibiting bioinspired dynamic movements. These autonomous polymer systems are driven by the Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction, which is analogous to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle that is an integral part of respiration. However, in the BZ reaction, the external addition of an oxidizing agent is necessary to initiate the oxidation process, which is realized by intracellular moieties such as ubiquinone in living systems. Herein, we realized self‐oscillating micelles that are driven without the external addition of an oxidizing agent. This was achieved by embedding the oxidizing source into the structure of the self‐oscillating AB diblock copolymers. This strategy introduces a new function equivalent to intracellular oxidizing moieties, and is useful for the design of completely autonomous bioinspired materials.